The writer is the person who stands outside society, independent of affiliation and independent of influence.
Don DelilloRead
I used to think it was possible for an artist to alter the inner life of the culture. Now bomb-makers and gunmen have taken that territory.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the shift in cultural influence from artists to those who employ violence.
In this quote, Don Delillo suggests that artists once had the power to influence the culture's inner life and emotions through their art. However, he observes a troubling shift where this influence has been overshadowed by destructive forces, such as bomb-makers and gunmen, highlighting a loss of the artist's role in shaping society's values and narratives.
Themes
ArtCultureInfluenceViolenceSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of artists in modern society.
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There's a curious knot that binds novelists and terrorists...Years ago I used to think it was possible for a novelist to alter the inner life of the culture. Now bomb-makers and gunmen have taken that territory. They make raids on human consciousness. What writers used to do before we were all incorporated.
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